Seriously: Don't touch baby deer, even if they're alone

Even if they're alone and not moving, it's fine and the mom will come back – so don't touch the baby deer.

That's from the Minnesota DNR, which Monday put out a warning saying people need to leave the fawns alone.

Most baby deer are born in late May to early June, and don't actually try to get away from predators for the first few weeks of their life, according to the release. Instead, they stand still and trust their white spots to act as camouflage.

Plus, deer moms nurse their young at different times during the day, and can leave the babies alone for long periods of time.

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"These animals are not lost. Their mother knows where they are and will return," the release says.

Getting too close could compromise a fawn's natural fear of people, which can be essential to their survival.

So bottom line, don't touch, pick up, or disturb baby deer you see out in the wild. Doing so can separate the mother and child at a time when the fawn needs to learn important life skills.

“We understand people often have good intentions, but we want people to know that fawns survive best without intervention," Adam Murkowski, DNR big game program leader, said in the news release.

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There are usually two fawns born at a time, each weighing about eight pounds, the DNR says, noting they stay with their mom and nurse for a few months after birth.

White-tailed deer are found in every single Minnesota county, and pretty flexible in terms of living environment, the DNR says.

Once summer rolls around (so after all the births in the late spring), there are usually 900,000-1 million of the animals in the state, according to the agency.

A Senate committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to pass along a bill to allow the hunting and trapping of wolves. But opponents are letting lawmakers know not everyone favors the plan. Some people fear it could drive wolves into new territory, while wildlife watchers worry it will hinder their hobby.